Elf on the Shelf

I just recently learned what Elf on the Shelf is about even though the idea has been around since 2004 apparently.

You can wikipedia what this is, but you'll get a huge ad for their fundraiser, so I'll save you the trouble: The Elf on the Shelf is this little holiday tradition based off of some book where a stuffed elf is placed in a room so that he might report the good and bad activities back to Santa at night. Then he comes back the next day in a different spot.

I guess the end goal is to motivate children to behave, but the whole elf-spying concept is a little weird. Meanwhile, the parents have to keep up with moving the elf so that the children stay convinced that it's "magic" even though it's just a huge lie.

I was explaining all this tomfoolery to Mike.
Mike: That sounds like a lot of work.
Me: It is.
Mike: It'd be so much easier to just tell your kids about Jesus.
Me: Yep.

Like, why do people feel the need to invent these creepy little ways to get their kids to act right?
"Be good so that the elf will report good things to Santa."
"Be good or Santa won't bring you any presents."
"Be good for goodness sake."

Think about all the subtle effects that these traditions are instilling in your children:

First, they develop a works-based-love relationship with Santa. They must impress him in order to get the things that they want. Therefore the goal is a self-centered material desire instead of behaving out of love for someone, a.k.a. honoring your parents (which is a concept totally lost in western culture).

Secondly, they learn to behave only when someone's "watching". This translates to a larger problem later on when they learn to only do the right thing when they will be rewarded for it instead of doing the right thing because it's inherently the right thing to do. Mixed up priorities and such. Short term rewards instead of long term gains, as it were.

And thirdly, when this whole sham comes to light, it's pretty much teaching children that it's okay to lie.
"It's just a white lie. It's harmless!"
It's still a lie. And it's still harmful.

Instead of: we love Jesus, so we always strive to obey his commands.
It's: we obey Mommy and Daddy during this certain time of the year so we can get more stuff.

"Where I come from, tryin' hard to make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to heaven. Where I come from"

Every time I hear that song, all I can think of is that Alan Jackson doesn't understand basic Christianity.

You don't work hard to get to heaven. You work hard because Jesus has gone and prepared a place. The hope is in what He has already done, not in what you can do.

So when I see Christian parents using this gimmick-based Elf on the Shelf/Santa kind of garbage, I just don't know how they rationalize the double standard.

When children are taught that they better not shout/cry/pout I'm tellin' you why, it's not "because Jesus is our Lord and Savior" but rather "because stuff".

(This is a huge reason why I love The Grinch: The Whos SANG ANYWAY because they had joy despite the fact that they had just been horribly robbed.)

We obey God because we love him.
Wouldn't it be great if your kids just obeyed you- not because you were indirectly bribing them with things via a fictional character - but rather because they loved you and God who actually exists?

It's a loaded question, I know. And what does "being good" mean anyway?

I don't like to tell people how to raise their children because I personally do not have a vested interest in parenting.
But if I ever did, I would not tell them about Santa.
Or any elves on any shelves.
Or the many other lies of this world.

I would just tell them about Jesus.
The original true story.

What you say about his company is what you say about society,
TWS

...

THE RIVER!!!!

Tom Sawyer; Rush

Hammer-On

I have some etchings.

However, Mum:

BEFORE YOU SCROLL DOWN TO READ THEM (Mum) READ THIS:

Scenario: Friday night.
We just came home from work. I was ambling about in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.
Very mysterious this was.
I always use the peephole so that I don't open the door for people that have set out to change my life.
UPS dude had just dropped the boxes and was already back in his truck by the time I got to the door.
Mike has a theory that maybe he threw the boxes at the doorbell from near his truck, which was why he was able to get to it so fast, but more on that in a second.

The first package Mike was expecting. Some techy sound card.
The second package was a complete surprise.
Mike sold his old PS4 to Amazon just to get some cash out of it.
They apparently set it back because it was cosmetically damaged.
And if you know Mike, you know he takes care of his electronics.
I mean, this guy still has a surround sound system that he bought from K-Mart on a black Friday sale back in high school.
So peered in the box we did and it was so broke.
It was horrible. It was scuffed. The top was falling off. Things were rattling around inside.
And, of course, it didn't work.
Blue light of death or something.

So there are a couple things that could have happened:
1. Amazon received Mike's nice pretty PS4 and a broken one from some deadbeat. PS4's got switched, so Mike got the reject and deadbeat got sweet cash.

~*~OR~*~

2. UPS did quite a number on this box.

And this is what this etching is about.
Click to enlarge.

Also, my band partner and I made it into the newspaper last night which is a really cool thing I have going on in my life right now.

Click here to view my FACE SINGING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.

Find other good pix HERE AT OUR FACBOOK PAGE.

P.S. my hair looks awesome.

And guess what guys.

I didn't even cry,

TWS